In the packaging of sutures with attached needles, it is important that the needle and its attached suture be easily removable from the package with a minimum of effort. Once the needle is grasped by a forceps and pulled, the needle should easily release from the package and allow the suture to be withdrawn. It, of course, is desirable to keep the requirement for touching the needle or adjusting the needle within the forceps or needle holder to a minimum. Also, it would be desirable to be able to grasp the needle in a manner, when removing it from the package, so that it would not have to be readjusted when the surgeon desires to use the needle to suture or join tissue.
Suture packages which allow for easy removal of the suture are well known. Such packages are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,961,498; 4,967,902; 5,052,551; 5,056,658 and 5,099,994. All of these packages allow for ready removal of the suture once the needle has been grasped by a forceps or a needle holder. However, none of these prior art packages insure that the needle may be grasped one time and the suture removed from the package and the needle be in a position ready to be used for suturing. Generally, all of these packages require that the needle be touched or positioned in the forceps or needle holder to allow the suture to be removed from the package or the needle will have to be repositioned within the forceps before being used for suturing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a suture package that allows the needle to be grasped and the suture removed without having to touch the needle. It is an object of the present invention to reduce the possibility that the user may be pricked by a needle. It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the possibility that a needle will have to be repositioned within the forceps before being used for suturing.